Alcohol abuse can lead to serious lung conditions: US expert

Alcohol abuse can expose one to life threatening lung conditions, an American scientist said here Monday, suggesting Indian teenagers should refrain from excesses.

The Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that the amount of alcohol consumption has risen in India between 2008 and 2012.

In 2012, about 3.3 million deaths, or 5.9 percent of all global deaths, were caused by alcohol consumption.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life threatening lung condition that prevents enough oxygen from getting to the lungs and into the blood and research has revealed a link to alcohol abuse.

"It leads to a build up of fluid in the air sacs inside and this fluid prevents enough oxygen from passing into the bloodstream, basically you are swimming in your own fluid.

"While one is usually bothered about liver damage from alcohol consumption, respiratory distress is increasingly being observed," Michael Koval of the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, US, told IANS here.

Koval, attending the Cesin International Conference at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology here, said this is a global issue and for countries like India with a high young population, the disease burden is immense.

"What youngsters don't realise is the effect of chronic alcohol consumption takes at least a year to wear off," Koval said.

Koval said teenagers should stress on moderation.